Dispensing container



Feb. 8, 1949. J. M. GUTHRIE 2,451,211 DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed July 13, 1945 SSheets-Sheet l Fizglzz 4INVENTCIR 20 www `llllllllllllllllllll 8 Nolo Feb. 8, 1949. J. M. GUTHRIE 2,461,211

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed July 15, 1945 s sheets-snm z Engl. 2151.111.

' zo Il 20c y F A20a! zoc god* lIll INVENTOR IMQ/M4 Feb. s, 1949. J. M. GUTHRlE 2,461,211

' yDISPENSING CONTAINER Filed July 13, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 g j f 1 Y,411 1 1 1 1 l l I 1 1 [raam-19,1515 l eHAvllc ANlsmNe 11.. G` l 1ERE/xm @REA (D l i I l l I 1 la 1 TITI 1 l INVENTOR Patented Feb. 8, 1949 UNITED "STATES PATENT oFF-ICE] attimi.l l

msPENsINc coN'rAiNER James M. Guthrie, Allison Park, Pa., assignorof one-fourth to John S. Lear, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application July 13, 1943, Serial No. 494,508

(Cl. Z22- 390) 3 Claims.

, 1 y The invention relates to dispensing containers foruid material, particularly pastes or creams, such as tooth paste, vanishing cream, shaving cream, and the like, and consists in a jar or bottle and means cooperating therewith to dispense'in desired quantity the material contained therein.

In recent years there has been a great deal of effort expended, especially in the glass industry, to devise a glass container that is commercially practical for tooth paste. Of course, there is no diicultyin providing` a jar or bottle that may be readily filled, closed and packaged for thedistribution and sale of tooth paste, but so far as I am aware, completely satisfactory means 2 f public, and as an essential self-sustainingV element of the dispensing apparatus in the handsV of the purchaser. vWhen the contents of the jarv element I have been used, the jar is removed from the dispensing element 2 and discarded, and a new, full jar is substituted. As in the case of many other materials sold in bottles, the jar I is provided on its neck 3 with a screwthread 4 that receives a screw cap 510i any-suitable form, to close and seal the contents within the jar, and, when the consumer desires to use the contents of the j ar,

for dispensing the tooth paste from such. a container have not been devised.

An exemplary embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated in the accompanyingv drawings, in which:

Fig. I is aview in side elevation of the jar or i:

bottle element of the invention;

Fig. IIYis a view in axial section of the jar y partly in side elevation and partly in medial,`

vertical section;

Fig. VII is a View in top plan of the same;

Fig. VIII is a view comparable with Fig. V, illustrating a still more elaborated form of the dispensing element;

And Fig. IX is a view in top plan of the structure of Fig. VIII.

Referring toFigs. I-IV of the drawings,V th dispensing container of the invention comprises lie-removes the cap 5 and discards it, and assem bles the uncovered jarwith `the dispensing ele# ment4 2.

The dispensing element 2 may becast of metal andprovidedwvith a-bright chromium 'or'nickelnish, or it may be formed of plastic of desired color or color` combination. vThe body of element 2 is in this case of cylindrical external contour. The body includes Va boreV 6 whose wall is formed with, or lined with, a member including a screwv thread Whose convolutions are of proper form and material to receive the screw 4 onl the neck of the jar I of glass or other suitable material, whereby the, jar, with cap removed, maybe screwed, open end first, into the borev 6. The

jar is provided at .or adjacentto its base with formed on the bodyv of the jar.

a jar or bottle element I and a dispensing element 2. 'Ihe jar or bottle may be formed of glass in known types of automatic glass blowing or ,Extending axiauy of the bore s in me dispensing element 2 i-s a plunger` 8 that enters the jar I as the jar is screwed into the dispensingy element.v

The plunger. includes a passage 9 having an` inlet I0 that opensk through the head end of the plunger, and an outlet I I .that opens through the body of the dispensing element, inrrthis` case through a threaded teat I2 .formed integrally with the otherwise closed end 2a ofthe dispensing element. When the. vjar I is screwed into the dispensing element, the plunger displaces the uid material in the jar and forces it through passage 9 rto'outlet II, whence it emerges in the form of a column or ribbon R. Needless to say, by con-` trolling the extent of the turning of the jar I.

The particular Vform vof-the plunger 8 is impory tant'from the standpoint's of both economyand 3 utility. The body of the plunger comprises a simple length of tubing I4 of metal, plastic, or other suitable material, threaded and secured at one end in the head end 2a of the dispensing element 2, and threaded at opposite end to the head I5 of the plunger. The bore of the tubing I4 forms the passage 9, already mentioned,V that communicates at'.` itsv opposite ends' with inlet IilI and outlet FI' formed'in the head andte'at Vportions I5 and I2, respectively. lIhe plunger head is provided with a shoulder I6 between which' and a nut I'I a, piston cup I8 of rubber-rcomposta` tion, or other suitable flexible material, is

clamped. The skirt portionoiftheilexiblecpiston cup extends over the periphery'of' the' head I5 and engages the cylindrical Wall! of the: jar.` I.;

The peripheral edge of the piston cup I8 is inter-` nally chamfered in such manner that thepr'es'e sure oi the tooth paste I?" against the head end of the plunger (which pressure is produced-'when- Ythe jar' Iii' being' rotatedA with:` paste-dispensing; effect operates tolspreadrthe skirtof the'piston culp tightly` against the internal surface of the jar I', an'di prevents' leakageof: paste around the' plunger'headl Y The-liead end oi the plunger is provided' with aconcave recess I9? (Fig. IIIA) ,andi the bottom ofi the' jar' Il isv complementar-ily formed, as indicated at 2I`,` whereby,l whenl the jar' I: is screwed into. the' position Where the header"-` thev plungerengages the bottomfofthex jar; the engagement is' a' snug surfaceeto-surface engagement,v eieoting the complete displacement of all tooth paste' from the jar. When, in' the` daily use of' the dispensing device, thei contents l ofthe'iar`V i'- have' been consumed; the cap |23 is screwed tightly upon the outletA I2, and-the jar is-unscrewedvv from tliebore dof-the dispensing element, and a new- (f'ulll' jar substitutedl The tooth' paste remaining .within the body oi? the plunger when. the empty jar is removedI will, of course, become inv effect apari' of tliech'argeof thenew jar that is substituted; Y

In order that a'- vacuum willl not"` be created Within the empty jar" I'- when it is removecffrom the dispensing' element 2, the" outersurface ofA the flexible piston cupila: is provided with a peripheral'series of grooves 22", andI these `groovesser-ve' to' permit an infiltration of air into the space Within the jar between the plunger' head and' thebottom of the-jar. This inltration' of air breaks any vacuum tending to' form inthe jar; and'thusfacil'ita-tes the removal'of the' empty jar, and nullies the'- tendency'for the paste re maini'n'gin the plunger to' be sucked out. Additionally; a Vent 23 is provided at the' top of the bore I5E in' the dispensing element, to eliminate objectionable-pneumatic conditions as'the jarV 'I 'is screwed into' or out of: the bore.

The wall of` the jar I, elsewhere of' substantial-lly uniform cross section;v is' widened at the' threaded neck 33 the so widened mouth 24'ofti`1'e' jai is valuab'le-, in that all diiiiculty' in entering the plunger' head into' the jar' is eliminatede-it' bein'gmerely necessary to press'tl'ie` open end of y the' jar into the'V open end; oi" the borel 6 and screw` it in; A tapered annular surface .Z5 be;-

them'outn and the bore` ofi the jar guides and' compresses the periphery. of` thel piston cup I8 into position of desired snug'. contact withf the surface off the paste-containing bore-or` well. of the jar.

Figs.v V-V-Il2 illustrate an elaboration1 the formr ot the dispensingzelem'ent with: Whichthe 4 paste-containing jar I cooperates. More particularly, the body of the dispensing element 20 is provided with two laterally extending wings or support portions 26a, perforated at 2b, by means of which the device may be rigidly secured to the wall W, or to a wall trim, of a bathroom or the like From the wings 20a horizontal flange members orV support portionsvzc extend and provide reinforcement for the structure against vthe strain occasioned by rotation of the oontainer or jar i'. The exposed edge of each of the: flanges Ec may be notched, as at 20d, thus constituting a rack for the support of tooth brushes'. Other than as described, the structure or Figs; iff-'VII may he substantially the same as that: oi Figs. I-IV, save that the outlet Ila through which the tooth paste or other contents of'th'e'jar is discharged is formed in a goose-neck portion 52a on the top of the body of the dispensing' element. JI flle mouth of the' outlet is screened by means of a small pivotally mounted? gate i3d,- that is-swung'aside when the dispensing' of tooth paste'is to be effected; The' dbwnWa-rd? l tilt ot the discharge'outlet of 'the devicel enables the user to hcld his toothv brush in' one'liandl with the head of the brush in position below the' outlet, 'while' with his other hand hel turns the jai-'Ii tothe extent necessary to eject the-desired i quantity of" paste upon the brush head.

In Figs; VIII and" IX,'a` still further modiiication is illustrated. vThe dispensing device kmay embody a plurality of dispensing' units, and? hereinthree are shown. One unit may beused for tooth paste, a second for shaving'crearn', and

a' third for vanishing cream, etc. Thesefdiflerent pastos and creams, common in the bathroom of today, will -be' supplied to the public' in jars `I, and the jarsmay be' selectively assembled in the units of the dispensing device, in accordance with 0 the legendsindicated in Fig. VIII. It will be y I claim as Inyf invention:

l YIna dispensing device including. a body having a bore, a plunger extending axially ofsaidV bore, a headionsaidplunger, a passage extending from anv inlet insaid head and through said lunger to an' out-lett openingV externally of. saidI body. said bore being adaptedztoY receive a container having a bore containing semiesolid material, with the plunger entered in'y the bore'of the containerv and the plunger head engaging the wall of the container, whereby the advance of. the container into the bore of the dispensing device displaces said semi-solid material in the bore of said. container and: forces it outward through saidplunger, and means for breaking. the vacuum between` theplunger and the closed endl of the jar when said plunger, by the removal of the container from the dispensing device, is withdrawn from said bore of said container and thereby inhibiting the-suokingback of said material through said passage.

'2. The structure: of thenext preceding, claim said plunger head being concave, and said means comprising vacuum-breaking vents formed in the periphery of said plunger head.

3. In a dispensing device including a body having a bore, a plunger extending axially of said bore, a head on said plunger, a passage extending from an inlet in said head and through said plunger to an outlet opening externally of said body, said bore being adapted to receive a container having a bore containing semi-solid material, with the plunger entered in the bore of the container and the plunger head engaging the wall of the container, whereby the advance of the container into the bore of the dispensing device displaces said semi-solid material in the bore of said container and forces it outward through said plunger, and means for inhibiting the sucking back of said material through said passage when the container is Withdrawn from the bore of said device, said last means comprising vacuum-breaking vents formed in the periphery of said plunger head.

JAMES M. GUTI-IRIE.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Name Date 963,840 Whitaker July 12, 1910 1,223,172 Jacobson Apr. 17, 1917 1,263,908 Loeben Apr. 23, 1918 10 1,413,340 Lane Apr. 1a, 1922 1,729,219 Kellogg Sept. 24, 1929 1,692,096 Scott Nov; 20, 1928 2,029,367 VGeyer Feb. 4, 1936 2,054,863 Oliver Sept. 22, 1936 15 2,079,774 Maguire May 11, 1937 2,113,345 Goeritz et al. May 24, 1938 2,313,184 Wadsworth Mar. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 20 Number Country Date 30,619 France Apr. 13, 1926 221,269 Germany Apr'.l 22, 1910 

